Superhero Film Week: Batman

Howdy howdy boys and girls of all age and welcome back to Day 2 of Superhero Film Week.  We usher through the corridors of time to provide you with yet another film of my childhood. In the far far away time of 1989 I was given the option of watching two blockbuster hits and fortunately I chose the one I did first.  With action, explosions, hits, jabs, japes and a decent soundtrack by Prince and Danny Elfman.  So strap on your utility belt, toss the bat shark repellent and fire your atomic batteries.   This is Batman.

 

Gotham can be a drag at times.

Where does he get those wonderful spoilers?

Based on the written works of Bob Kane (creator of Batman, Courageous Cat and Cool McCool) Director Tim Burton (Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Ed Wood, Planet of the Apes and Big Fish) was offered this directorial after his ranging success with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.  With former Oingo Boingo lead man turned composer Danny Elfman; this dynamic duo set to make movie history.  

When fighting crime, always make an entrance.

With a town steep in corruption and people turning a blind eye, one man strives to take back the night from the criminals allowing the city to sleep restfully.   With the efforts of District Attorney Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams of Hit!, The Take, The Empire Strikes Back, Nighthawks and Return of the Jedi) and Police Commissioner Gordon (Pat Hingle of Hang ‘Em High, Gunsmoke, The Carey Treatment, One Little Indian, Batman Returns and The Quick and the Dead) they build a case against the Capo that holds the town in a strangle hold of fear, Carl Grissom (Jack Palance of Arrowhead, Shane, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Tango &Cash, City Slickers and Treasure Island).  

Grissom feels threatened and sends his number one guy Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson of Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, The Shining, A Few Good Men, Hoffa, As Good as It Gets and Something’s Gotta Give) and some of his other cronies to raid a front company Axis Chemicals.  Circulating through the underworld and the newspapers is mentioned an urban legend of a human bat roaming the rooftops and streets.  Jack and crooks are rousted by the cops and a shoot out occurs when a Batman (Michael Keaton of Night Shift, Mr. Mom,  Beetlejuice, Speechless, Desperate Measures, and White Noise) appears, thumps the villains and lobs Jack into a vat of chemicals by accident.  Days later Jack survives but is disfigured both mind and face.  He calls himself the Joker and proceeds to rain havoc on Gotham.  Can this vigilante be the dark hero; this knight errant that can save Gotham from this raving lunatic?

 

Yes kiddies, botox has side effects.

Yes I have a few things to interject.  Budgeted at 35 million, this was Warner Brothers (and sister) studios attempt at capturing the same moxy that Superman brought them with the first two films.  After Superman III and Superman IV: Quest for Peace, there was not much hope to breathe life into another comic book movie and this one soared at clearing $251 million at the box office on top of another $150,500,000 in rentals in the states alone.   VHS rentals went through the roof and it is still widely regarded as one of the best interpretations of the Batman saga.